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Guarino FM, Andreone F, Mezzasalma M, Licata F, Puoti S, Santos B, Cocca W, Solofoniaina Fidy JF, Ndriantsoa SH, Noel J, Rakotonanahary TF, Harison RF, Odierna G, Crottini A. Life History Traits and Longevity of the Invasive Asian Common Toad Duttaphrynus melanostictus (Schneider, 1799) in Madagascar. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:2099. [PMID: 37443897 DOI: 10.3390/ani13132099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Revised: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
We analyzed the body length, age structure, and age at sexual maturity of the invasive Asian common toad Duttaphrynus melanostictus from different sites in Toamasina, east Madagascar. We used skeletochronology as a proxy for age estimation, while gonads were histologically analyzed to determine the age of sexual maturity. The analysis of pooled age data from three sites investigated in 2016 showed that both sexes were larger, although not older, than those of native populations. For the individuals from Madagascar, the males were significantly smaller and younger (mean ± SD, SVL: 71.4 ± 1.6 mm; age: 1.8 ± 0.7 years) than the females (SVL: 78.42 ± 1.9 mm; age: 2.7 ± 1.3 years), when the data were pooled, but when the data were analyzed separately for each of the three sites, similar results were obtained only for one site. The oldest recorded male and female were 3 and 6 years old, respectively. Gonadal histology showed that the males and females reach sexual maturity after the first and second years of age, respectively. Further studies are needed to understand if the larger size and faster growth rates observed in the invasive population of D. melanostictus in Madagascar are a consequence of more favorable environmental conditions with respect to the native range (e.g., the availability of larger trophic niches, a lack of competitors, and lower predatory pressure), and we suggest to extend the monitoring of these life history traits to understand how they might influence the invasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabio Maria Guarino
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia 26, I-80126 Naples, Italy
| | - Franco Andreone
- Museo Regionale di Scienze Naturali, Via G. Giolitti, 36, I-10123 Torino, Italy
| | - Marcello Mezzasalma
- Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Science (DiBEST)-University of Calabria, Via P. Bucci 4/B, I-87036 Rende, Italy
| | - Fulvio Licata
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre s/n, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
| | - Simona Puoti
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia 26, I-80126 Naples, Italy
| | - Bárbara Santos
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
| | - Walter Cocca
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre s/n, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
| | | | | | - Jean Noel
- Madagascar Fauna and Flora Group, BP 442, Toamasina 501, Madagascar
| | | | - Rodino Fetrarijahona Harison
- Institut Supérieur de Science, Environnement et Développement Durable (ISSEDD), Université de Toamasina, Toamasina 501, Madagascar
| | - Gaetano Odierna
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia 26, I-80126 Naples, Italy
| | - Angelica Crottini
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre s/n, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
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Mezzasalma M, Brunelli E, Odierna G, Guarino FM. First Insights on the Karyotype Diversification of the Endemic Malagasy Leaf-Toed Geckos (Squamata: Gekkonidae: Uroplatus). Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:2054. [PMID: 36009644 PMCID: PMC9404452 DOI: 10.3390/ani12162054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The geckos of the genus Uroplatus include peculiar endemic species to Madagascar. Even though they have been the subject of several morphological and molecular studies, karyological analyses have been performed only on U. phantasticus, leaving the chromosomal diversity of the genus completely unexplored. In this study, we performed a preliminary molecular analysis and a comparative cytogenetic study providing the first karyotype description of eight species of Uroplatus and an assessment of their karyological variability. We found chromosome diversity in the species studied in terms of total chromosome number (2n = 34–38), localization of loci of Nucleolar Organizer Regions (NORs) (alternatively on the 2nd, 6th, 10th or 16th pair), heterochromatin composition and occurrence of heteromorphic sex chromosome pairs. Adding our newly generated data to those available from the literature, we show that in the genus Uroplatus, as well as in a larger group of phylogenetically related gecko genera, chromosome diversification mainly occurred toward a reduction in the chromosome number by means of chromosome fusions and translocation of NOR-bearing chromosomes. We also hypothesize that the diversification of sex chromosome systems occurred independently in different genera. Abstract We provide here the first karyotype description of eight Uroplatus species and a characterization of their chromosomal diversity. We performed a molecular taxonomic assessment of several Uroplatus samples using the mitochondrial 12S marker and a comparative cytogenetic analysis with standard karyotyping, silver staining (Ag-NOR) and sequential C-banding + Giemsa, +Chromomycin A3 (CMA3), +4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI). We found chromosomal variability in terms of chromosome number (2n = 34–38), heterochromatin composition and number and localization of loci or Nucleolar Organizer Regions (NORs) (alternatively on the 2nd, 6th, 10th or 16th pair). Chromosome morphology is almost constant, with karyotypes composed of acrocentric chromosomes, gradually decreasing in length. C-banding evidenced a general low content of heterochromatin, mostly localized on pericentromeric and telomeric regions. Centromeric bands varied among the species studied, resulting in CMA3 positive and DAPI negative or positive to both fluorochromes. We also provide evidence of a first putative heteromorphic sex chromosome system in the genus. In fact, in U. alluaudi the 10th pair was highly heteromorphic, with a metacentric, largely heterochromatic W chromosome, which was much bigger than the Z. We propose an evolutionary scenario of chromosome reduction from 2n = 38 to 2n = 34, by means of translocations of microchromosomes on larger chromosomes (often involving the NOR-bearing microchromosomes). Adding our data to those available from the literature, we show that similar processes characterized the evolutionary radiation of a larger gecko clade. Finally, we hypothesize that sex chromosome diversification occurred independently in different genera.
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